After Two Weeks of Pie...

[Sports Guy]

Jones last year:

April - .700 OPS

May - .585

June - .804

July - .780

August - .909 (hurt early in the month and had only 11 PA)

Sept. - .642 (coming back from injury)

Markakis in 2006:

April - .558

May - .667

June - .803

July - .999

August - 1.140

Sept. .599

I think it's fair to expect Pie to have had at least one month over .750 OPS in the first three months. If he was below .700 in all three I'd be a bit concerned. I'm also interested to see how his K rate is. So far he has struck out once every 4 PA's in his career. I'd like to see that heading to 1 in 5 or better once he's a couple months in.

I will be concerned if that hasn't happened the entire season. not just 3 months.

[JTrea81]

I will be concerned if that hasn't happened the entire season. not just 3 months.

So it's okay for Felix Pie to have a sub .700 OPS in LF? Kevin Millar at least provided a .700+ OPS and everybody knows how I felt about Millar's production. Pie is 24 years old and not a top prospect anymore. If he can't manage at least a .725 OPS by July and Reimold or Montanez are tearing up Norfolk, I expect the switch to be made...

If he's as good as you say he is, then he should be able to accomplish that and stick with the team. There's no point in breaking LF for the season if Pie isn't getting the job done.

[Scrat1]

So it's okay for Felix Pie to have a sub .700 OPS in LF? Kevin Millar at least provided a .700+ OPS and everybody knows how I felt about Millar's production. Pie is 24 years old and not a top prospect anymore. If he can't manage at least a .725 OPS by July and Reimold or Montanez are tearing up Norfolk, I expect the switch to be made...

If he's as good as you say he is, then he should be able to accomplish that and stick with the team. There's no point in breaking LF for the season if Pie isn't getting the job done.

Millar and Pie's situations are not even remotely analogous.

[Sports Guy]

So it's okay for Felix Pie to have a sub .700 OPS in LF? Kevin Millar at least provided a .700+ OPS and everybody knows how I felt about Millar's production. Pie is 24 years old and not a top prospect anymore. If he can't manage at least a .725 OPS by July and Reimold or Montanez are tearing up Norfolk, I expect the switch to be made...

If he's as good as you say he is, then he should be able to accomplish that and stick with the team. There's no point in breaking LF for the season if Pie isn't getting the job done.

I don't expect Pie to have much more than a 720 OPS this year...So, if he has 3 or 4 months where his cummalative OPS is 690, its not going to bother me.

Unlike you, I understand growing pains, projection, talent, etc...

[Frobby]

I will be concerned if that hasn't happened the entire season. not just 3 months.

Wow, I can't believe there's a scenario where you would actually be more patient than me.

Here's how I feel about Pie: we need to be patient, but we also need to realize he's not a babe in the woods, either. He's had 849 PA in AAA and 287 in the majors. I don't think it is asking too much to expect to see some improvement over 3 months of getting regular playing time. If he looks no better on June 30 than he was looking on April 6, I'd be getting pretty concerned at that point.

I don't expect Pie to have much more than a 720 OPS this year...So, if he has 3 or 4 months where his cummalative OPS is 690, its not going to bother me.

Now this, I agree with. But if he has a cumulative .690 after 3 months it's likely there will be a .750 month in there somewhere.

[JTrea81]

I don't expect Pie to have much more than a 720 OPS this year...So, if he has 3 or 4 months where his cummalative OPS is 690, its not going to bother me.

Unlike you, I understand growing pains, projection, talent, etc...

Adam Jones was heading toward a .725+ OPS easy before his injury last season. Pie was supposedly as talented as Jones and had more AAA experience and he's also older, so why shouldn't we expect him to do the same if not better given his age and former prospect status? Nolan Reimold has shown that he's better than Pie in every aspect of the game this ST. If he's still doing that in July and Pie is scuffling along, I don't expect the Orioles to keep Pie around.

This team wants to compete in 2010, so they shouldn't stick with a project OFer for very long IMO if there are better, more solid options in the minors.

[Flosman]

So it's okay for Felix Pie to have a sub .700 OPS in LF? Kevin Millar at least provided a .700+ OPS and everybody knows how I felt about Millar's production. Pie is 24 years old and not a top prospect anymore. If he can't manage at least a .725 OPS by July and Reimold or Montanez are tearing up Norfolk, I expect the switch to be made...

If he's as good as you say he is, then he should be able to accomplish that and stick with the team. There's no point in breaking LF for the season if Pie isn't getting the job done.

A simple question for you. How long would you give Pie? Is ST really already long enough?

PS most baseball people that know what they are talking about say that it takes about 1500 ABs before you really know what kind of hitter someone is going to be. Pie would have been the everyday LF of maybe even the CFer if last year for the O's if he would have came up in our system. The Cubs have a pretty good chance of looking stupid in this situation IMO.

[Frobby]

Adam Jones was heading toward a .725+ OPS easy before his injury last season. Pie was supposedly as talented as Jones and had more AAA experience and he's also older, so why shouldn't we expect him to do the same if not better given his age and former prospect status? Nolan Reimold has shown that he's better than Pie in every aspect of the game this ST. If he's still doing that in July and Pie is scuffling along, I don't expect the Orioles to keep Pie around.

This team wants to compete in 2010, so they shouldn't stick with a project OFer for very long IMO if there are better, more solid options in the minors.

Do you really think Reimold is a better defensive outfielder, or a better baserunner, than Pie?

Your comment follows on what I said in the opening post. Pie is a very good defensive CF who eventually will be a great defensive LF, but he has to adjust to playing that position first. Remember how Markakis struggled in LF after playing RF (and a little CF) all through the minors? So we'll need to give Pie a little time to adjust defensively.

Offensively, I might quibble with your wording, but I more or less agree with what you are saying. Pie after 3 months needs to be looking pretty solid. He doesn't have to be all the way there, but he has to be on the way, like Jones was last year.

[DrungoHazewood]

Do you really think Reimold is a better defensive outfielder, or a better baserunner, than Pie?

Your comment follows on what I said in the opening post. Pie is a very good defensive CF who eventually will be a great defensive LF, but he has to adjust to playing that position first. Remember how Markakis struggled in LF after playing RF (and a little CF) all through the minors? So we'll need to give Pie a little time to adjust defensively.

Offensively, I might quibble with your wording, but I more or less agree with what you are saying. Pie after 3 months needs to be looking pretty solid. He doesn't have to be all the way there, but he has to be on the way, like Jones was last year.

There is no adjust, only do! No excuses! Hit or go home!

Well, unless your name is Scott Moore...

[JTrea81]

Do you really think Reimold is a better defensive outfielder, or a better baserunner, than Pie?

Your comment follows on what I said in the opening post. Pie is a very good defensive CF who eventually will be a great defensive LF, but he has to adjust to playing that position first. Remember how Markakis struggled in LF after playing RF (and a little CF) all through the minors? So we'll need to give Pie a little time to adjust defensively.

Offensively, I might quibble with your wording, but I more or less agree with what you are saying. Pie after 3 months needs to be looking pretty solid. He doesn't have to be all the way there, but he has to be on the way, like Jones was last year.

At this point, yes I think Reimold is a better baserunner and defensive player. He's solid. Pie is flashy, that's the difference. Pie is the second coming of Corey Patterson. He makes the flashy play but then does something boneheaded on a routine one.

Reimold is 2-2 in stolen bases in ST, Pie has 0 and was CS once. Pie has 117 SB in 187 attempts for a 63% success rate in the minors and he had a 61% SB rate in AAA last year with 11 SB in 18 attempts. Reimold while he's stolen fewer bases has a 67% career rate and had 7 SB in 10 attempts for a 70% rate last season.

[Hank Scorpio]

At this point, yes I think Reimold is a better baserunner and defensive player. He's solid. Pie is flashy, that's the difference. Pie is the second coming of Corey Patterson. He makes the flashy play but then does something boneheaded on a routine one.

Reimold is 2-2 in stolen bases in ST, Pie has 0 and was CS once. Pie has 117 SB in 187 attempts for a 63% success rate in the minors and he had a 61% SB rate in AAA last year with 11 SB in 18 attempts. Reimold while he's stolen fewer bases has a 67% career rate and had 7 SB in 10 attempts for a 70% rate last season.

How many games have you seen either of them play?

Just curious.

[Frobby]

At this point, yes I think Reimold is a better baserunner and defensive player. He's solid. Pie is flashy, that's the difference. Pie is the second coming of Corey Patterson. He makes the flashy play but then does something boneheaded on a routine one.

Reimold is 2-2 in stolen bases in ST, Pie has 0 and was CS once. Pie has 117 SB in 187 attempts for a 63% success rate in the minors and he had a 61% SB rate in AAA last year with 11 SB in 18 attempts. Reimold while he's stolen fewer bases has a 67% career rate and had 7 SB in 10 attempts for a 70% rate last season.

I wasn't referring to SB's so much as the ability to go from 1st to 3rd on a single, or to score on a double. I have read in the past that Reimold's baserunning instincts are not very good. I agree with you that Pie's SB% has been uninspiring in the minors. At least he has done a good job at the major league level in that regard (11 for 12).

[DrungoHazewood]

How many games have you seen either of them play?

Just curious.

Would it matter? I don't think evidence (either objective or subjective) is the question here. It's more one of faith.

[Sports Guy]

Adam Jones was heading toward a .725+ OPS easy before his injury last season. Pie was supposedly as talented as Jones and had more AAA experience and he's also older, so why shouldn't we expect him to do the same if not better given his age and former prospect status? Nolan Reimold has shown that he's better than Pie in every aspect of the game this ST. If he's still doing that in July and Pie is scuffling along, I don't expect the Orioles to keep Pie around.

This team wants to compete in 2010, so they shouldn't stick with a project OFer for very long IMO if there are better, more solid options in the minors.

The fact that you continue to judge things based on ST and still hang onto the idea that Reimold isn't here because of Pie just shows your foolishness.

Still waiting for you to acknowledge the idea that both Reimold and Pie can be on the team...but then that would make your argument look even poorer, so I doubt you do it.

[Hank Scorpio]

Would it matter? I don't think evidence (either objective or subjective) is the question here. It's more one of faith.

I think it would probably affect his opinion, yeah.